Green Sailing

'The Atlantic taught me how to calculate a boat's carbon footprint.. Craig Simmons explains how you can reduce your impact & save money

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CRAIG SIMMONS learned to sail at school and hasn't stopped since. He prefers long-distance sailing and has crewed on the ARC and Carib 1500. He is currently cruising the Mediterranean. Craig is considered to be a leading sustainability pioneer having contributed to the popularisation of the concept of ecological footprinting in the 1990s with the establishment of one of Europe's first specialist sustainability consultancies. He also co-authored the groundbreaking book on the subject 'Sharing Nature's Interest', receiving a Queen's Award for outstanding environmental work a decade later. When not sailing, he works part-time for Marine Futures, the home of MarineShift360.

CHALLENGE:

For nearly three decades, I have been deeply involved in shaping environmental solutions across many industries, from agriculture to aviation. My colleagues and I were even honoured with a prestigious Queen's Award in 2006 for our groundbreaking work. Yet, it is only relatively recently that I have begun to apply these lessons to the marine sector - which is somewhat surprising considering that I have been an avid sailor with a passion for all things nautical for almost 50 years. Perhaps I was in denial about the impact my passion for sailing could be having on the marine and global environment?

EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION